Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Lacing up to Celebrate

by contributor Brendan Kownacki

Every gala in DC has limos, fancy dresses and tuxedos; the Greater Washington Sports Alliance’s SneakerBall adds a little something extra into the mix. The annual event celebrating sports in the District filled the National Building Museum Tuesday night for dinner, drinks and dancing, and gave everyone the chance to pair their favorite black tie fashion with their most stylish kicks.

Some opted for classic Converse, while others spiced things up with neon colored Nikes and everywhere you went, people wanted to talk about ‘where did you get your sneakers?’

The event promotes charitable donations for children’s sports programs and was a mix of professional athletes, local scenesters, past and present Olympians and everyone in between. On hand were several members of the Redskins and Capitals, reps from the Washington Kastles and DC United and many more sports stars both active and retired.

Chris Cooley from the Washington Redskins

Kastle's star Rennae Stubbs

and coach Murphy Jensen.

The evening included a cocktail reception, dinner and awards program (to celebrate the achievements of different DC athletes) and then a lively after party that had guests dancing late into the night.